Craig Anthony&nbspFerris

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Full Name

Craig Anthony Ferris

Background

Background NZ Herald story here and hereFrom the Dominion March 14th 2001 BECOMING involved in New Zealand's biggest security van robbery was a titanic leap into criminal offending by an extremely naive man, the High Court at Christchurch was told yesterday. Craig Anthony Ferris, 24, of Christchurch, was sentenced to a total of 9 1/2 years' jail for his part in the $940,404 robbery in central Wellington on December 22 last year.

Justice Panckhurst sentenced Ferris to eight years' jail for robbery and another 18 months for the arsons of the security van and a disused ammunition bunker. Ferris, who pleaded guilty to all charges at an earlier hearing, was one of the three main offenders, according to the police summary. He was one of the trio who abseiled down a wall and waited for security guards to arrive at a money machine in Willis St, Wellington. Defence lawyer Jonathan Eaton denied that Ferris was recruited to take part in the robbery because he was a former security guard.

Rather, he became involved with the man who planned the robbery, Peter Richard Tyson, when Ferris took his dog from Picton to Wellington."The planning of the robbery was well under way by then," Mr Eaton said. Ferris's role in the robbery was upgraded from that of driver to being one of the three who confronted and immobilised the security guards when they arrived with the cash.

The only cash that Ferris received from the haul was about $1000, which he was given by Tyson's de facto partner. Justice Panckhurst said he was treating Ferris as a first-time offender because his earlier offending was not relevant. He also noted that $670,000 taken in the robbery had been recovered. Ferris was a rather naive person of limited education and intelligence with an unremarkable background, but he had played one of three main roles in the robbery, he said. No members of the public were in court for the sentencing.

Alias

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Date of Birth

Born 1977

Offences

Armed robbery of two Wellington security guards and a very substantial sum of money in December 2000